Investigation of the Parameters on the Preparation and Characteristics of a High-Energy Spherical Propellant

Spherical propellants are widely used in handgun ammunition due to their favorable ballistic and manufacturing properties.Enhancing their energy content is a key objective for improving bullet velocity and overall performance.In this study, a high-energy spherical propellant was developed via an emulsionbased method, optimizing the NM/EAc (nitromass/ethyl acetate) ratio and solvent removal conditions.The optimal formulation was identified at an NM/EAc ratio of 1/2.5 with 50% solvent removal, resulting in spherical particles primarily in the 0.125-0.315mm range (80 wt.%).The final product exhibited a combustion heat of approximately 998 cal/g, representing a 9.07% increase over conventional spherical propellants.Ballistic testing with 7.6225 mm Tokarev cartridges showed that coating the propellant with 2% ethylcentralite improved bullet velocity by 8.9%.Importantly, the enhanced energy content did not compromise key physical characteristics such as specific gravity, bulk density, or chemical stability.These results demonstrate that careful adjustment of formulation parameters can lead to higher-performance spherical propellants suitable for small-caliber applications.